Furkan wins gold at science expo

Furkan Aslan, 16, from Star College in Bridgetown, won a gold medal at this year’s Eskom Expo for Young Scientists.

The Grade 11 pupil from Penyln Estate's project, Reinforcement Learning in Ecosystems, aimed to improve ecological research, management, and conversation efforts within ecosystems.

The expo was held in the Convention Centre at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park from Monday September 23 to Friday September 27 and drew more than 300 competitors from 18 countries.

Furkan, whose medal came with a R1000 cash prize, started with the project in 2022 and has continued to add to it.

He said it had undergone “significant revisions and changes throughout its development” and was “really challenging” to make since it required a deep understanding of ecosystems and the complex animal interactions within them in order to create a precise model to simulate a realistic ecosystem.

“I feel like it was a real challenge and full of obstacles to win this gold medal. Projects on ecosystems are very important to have for the research of ecosystems and conservation efforts,” he said.

Star College Bridgetown teacher Dalaal Abrahams said the school was proud of Furkan and all pupils who participated in the expo.

“Our school consistently encourages students to pursue their passions and reach their highest potential, and Furkan’s success is a testament to the hard work, determination and sacrifice made by both our students and educators,” she said.